Tape feeding and retracting device



1942- F. w. HEYEL 73,265

TAPE FEEDING AND RETRACTING DEVICE Filed April 2'7, 1940 INVENTOR ATTORNEY 1!. sum:

08 DELIVERJNG,

UH VVCD rLLUHYu TAPE FEEDING AND RETRACTING DEVICE Frederick W. Heyel, East Port Chester, Conn., as-

signor to Pitney-Bowes Postage Meter 00., Stamford, Conn., a corporation of Delaware Application April 27, 1940, Serial No. 331,921

6 Claims.

This invention relates to a tape feeding and retracting device for use on a tape printing machine wherein the tape is printed and fed to a cutting position. The device is more particularly adapted for use with a postage printing machine wherein postage impressions are imprinted by means of a rotary printing die upon either letters or tape at the same printing position,

In postage printing machines the leading end of the tape normally lies below the letter path and when tape printing is to be effected thereon, the leading end is advanced to a printing pick-up position. From the latter position the tape is advanced while printing is efiected, and after printing, it is further advanced to a cutting position. Here the printed Portion of the tape is cut off and the tape is retracted to the original non-printing position.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a novel form of drive for tape feeding and retracting rollers which frictionally engage and alternately drive the tape.

It is a further object to provide driving segments for the drive of the tape feeding and retracting rollers which segments are rotatable in the same direction about a common axis.

With the above and other objects in view, which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that various changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

A preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, wherein;

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view of the tape feed and retracting mechanism including a portion of a printing drum structure and a platen roller, with the supporting frame structure removed for the sake of clarity;

Fig. 2 is an operation view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the feed of the tape to a printing pickup position;

Fig. 3 is a further operation view showing the feed of the tape through a cutting device; and

Fig. 4 is an end elevational view of the tape feeding and retracting mechanism, taken in the direction of the arrow 4 of Fig. 1, and includes part of the supporting frame structure.

Referring to the drawing in detail, a rotary printing drum is indicated at I and has a printiii ing die ll thereon. Said drum is adapted to be rotated by a suitable drive I2 to move the printing die ll into operative relation with a platen roller 13, as indicated in Fig. 2, whereupon printing is effected upon a web or tape T engaged therebetween. After the printing die I I has performed its printing and feeding operation, a tape feed shoe 14 will effect the further feed of the tape between the jaws l5 and I6 of a cutting knife I]. At this position the printed portion of the tape is adapted to be cut off, and immediately thereafter, the tape is retracted to the starting position of Fig. 1.

The tape feeding and retracting mechanism comprises a tape feed roller I8 and a retracting roller l9, each of which rollers is adapted to frictionally engage the tape positioned therebetween. The roller 18 is carried by a shaft 2| and the roller I9 is carried by shaft 22. Each of said shafts 2| and 22 is supported in suitable bearings provided in members 23, 23a and 23b forming a part of the machine frame structure. Fixed to the shaft 2! is a drive roller 24 and fixed to the shaft 22 is a drive roller 25. Each of said drive rollers 24 and 25 are further connected with the feed and retracting rollers I8 and I9 respectively.

Associated with the two drive rollers 24 and 25 are segmental drive members 26 and 21, each of which is mounted upon a common shaft 28 which is driven by the previously mentioned drive l2 when the printing drum and platen roller members are driven. Segment 28 is adapted to engage with the roller 24 during the initial rotation of the shaft 28 as it passes from the position shown in Fig. 1 to the position of Fig. 2. A drive is therefore effected through the frictional engagement of the segment 26 with the roller 24 to rotate said roller 24 in a clockwise direction and further efiect rotation of the platen feed roller l8 in a clockwise direction to provide for the feed of the leading end of the tape to a printing pickup position, as shown in Fig. 2. During said latter operation the retracting roller l9is free to rotate and therefore acts as a pressure roller during the forward feeding of the tape.

After the segment 26 passes beyond the drive roller 24, the printing die II and tape feed shoe l4 on the printing drum l0 will effect the further feeding of the tape, as previously mentioned, to the cutting position shown in Fig. 3.

After cutting is accomplished the retracting segment 21 will have approached the position shown in Fig. 3 where it will next engage drive roller 25 to effect rotation of the retracting roller IS in an anti-clockwise direction and return the ation is accomplished with a minimum number 10 of moving parts.

Suitable tape guides are provided in the complete machine structure but have been eliminated from the present drawing since they form no particular part of the invention herein involved.

Having thus described the invention what is claimed is:

1. In a tape feeding and retracting device, a tape feed roller, a tape retracting roller, each roller being maintained in frictional engagement with the tape at opposite surfaces thereof, and means to alternately rotate said rollers to thereby provide a drive for one roller then the other while the opposing roller acts as a pressure roller.

2. In a tape feeding and retracting device, a feed roller and a retracting roller, each roller being frictionally engageable with a web passed therebetween and being normally freely rotatable, and drive means to alternately rotate one then the other of said rollers at predetermined intervals and thereby alternately cause one roller to act as a web driving roller while the other roller acts as a pressure roller during said intervals.

3. In a tape feeding and retracting device, a tape feed roller engaging one surface of the tape, a tape retracting roller engaging the other surface of the tape, and rotatable segment driving members rotatable in the same direction and operable to alternately drive said feed and retracting rollers.

4. In a device for advancing and retracting a web, a feed roller engaging one surface of said web, a retracting roller engaging the opposite surface of the web, two segment members rotatable about a common axis in the same direction and alternately movable into driving relation with the feed and retracting rollers, whereby the feed roller is adapted to advance the web and the retracting roller is adapted to retract the web at different intervals during each revolution of the segment members.

5. In a device for advancing and retracting a web, a feed. roller engaging one surface of said web, a retracting roller engaging the opposite surface of the web, two segment members rotatable about a common axis in the same direction, and a drive roller associated with each of said feed and retracting rollers and alternately engageable by said segments, whereby the feed roller is adapted to advance the web and the retracting roller is adapted to retract the web at different intervals during each revolution of the segment members.

6. In a device for advancing and retracting a web, a feed roller engaging one surface of said web, a retracting roller engaging the opposite surface of the web, two segment members rotatable about a common axis in the same direction, a drive roller adjoining the feed roller, and a drive roller adjoining the retracting roller, said drive rollers being alternately engageable by said segment members, whereby the feed roller is adapted to advance the web and the retracting roller is adapted to retract the web during each revolution of the segment members.

FREDERICK W. HEYEL. 

